Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-17-.03
Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024
Section 420-5-17-.03 - General Requirements For Hospice Care Programs After Licensure(1) Any person licensed to provide a hospice care program shall: (a) Ensure the provision of the core services of nursing, social work, physician, pastoral or other counseling and volunteer services. The majority of these services shall be provided directly by hospice employees. Persons providing these services directly or by contract shall be responsible to, and function as part of, the interdisciplinary team. A planned and continuous hospice care program, the medical components of which shall be under the direction of a physician, shall be provided.(b) Ensure that care is available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.(c) Establish a written interdisciplinary plan of care for each hospice patient and family that: 1. Is coordinated by one designated individual who shall ensure that all components of the plan of care are addressed and implemented.2. Addresses maintenance of patient-family participation in decision making.3. Is periodically reviewed by the patient's attending physician and by the patient's interdisciplinary team.4. Ensures that an interdisciplinary team provides or supervises the provision of care and establishes the policies governing the provision of care.5. Provides bereavement care for hospice patient's family for at least one year, or until appropriately discharged from the bereavement program.6. Continues care regardless of a hospice patient's ability to pay for the care.7. Maintains central clinical records on all hospice patients under its care.8. Provides care in individual's homes and provides or coordinates care on an inpatient basis. Not more than 50% of the home care days shall be provided to residents of nursing homes.(2) Each licensed hospice care program shall notify the Alabama Department of Public Health, in writing, of any of the following: (a) Any change that would render the information submitted in the license application inaccurate. Said information must be submitted at least twenty-one days prior to the effective date of the change.(b) Any intent to cease operation of the program. Such notification shall be submitted at least 60 days prior to ceasing operation, and shall include a plan for assuring continuity of care for the program's patients and their families after the cessation.(3)Vital Statistics Reports. A record shall be kept of all births, deaths, and stillbirths that occur within the inpatient hospice. By the fifth day of each month, the manager shall make a report of such births, deaths, and stillbirths for the preceding month on such forms as the State Board of Health shall provide to the county health officer, or in counties without a county health officer, to the State Registrar. This report shall be in addition to the official birth, death, and stillbirth certificates. If there are no births, deaths, or stillbirths in any month, a report shall be made stating that fact to the county health officer.(4)Unusual Occurrences. Occurrences such as catastrophes and unusual occurrences which threaten the welfare, safety of health of patients, personnel, or visitors shall be reported by the hospice within 24 hours either by telephone (and confirmed in writing) or by facsimile to the Alabama Department of Public Health and other agencies/authorities as required. These occurrences include, but are not limited to, suspected cases of patient abuse, life threatening burns, fires, deaths under unusual circumstances, and outbreaks of infectious reportable diseases.(5) Patient Transport. If a patient is unable to ride in an upright position or if such patient's condition is such that he or she needs observation or treatment by Emergency Medical Services personnel, or if the patient requires transportation on a stretcher, gurney or cot, the facility shall arrange or request transportation services only from providers who are ambulance service operators licensed by the Alabama State Board of Health. If such patient is being transported to or from a health care facility in another state, transportation services may be arranged with a transport provider licensed as an ambulance service operator in that state. For the purposes of this rule, and upright position means no more than 20 degrees from vertical. Author: Rick Harris
Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-17-.03
New Rule: Filed August 20, 1993; effective September 23, 1993. Repealed and New Rule: Filed June 14, 2000; effective July 19, 2000. Amended: Filed June 23, 2004; effective July 28, 2004.Statutory Authority:Codeof Ala. 1975, §§ 22-21-20, etseq.